


Piece by piece

by Randigzebra



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Dysfunctional Family, Established Relationship, Falling In Love, Family Issues, Family Loss, Family Secrets, Fluff, Gay, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Hurt Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Love at First Sight, M/M, Married Couple, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Protective Steve Rogers, Sad with a Happy Ending, Second Chances, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-12
Updated: 2017-04-12
Packaged: 2018-10-18 04:35:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10609386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Randigzebra/pseuds/Randigzebra
Summary: Tony Stark had not had an easy life by any means.But he would do it again if it lead him to this.---Inspired by the song Piece by Piece - Kelly Clarksson





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I hope you enjoy this story!  
> I felt inspired when I heard the song piece by piece by Kelly Clarksson and I hope you enjoy this!  
> Mentions of abuse just so you know!

Tony Stark had not had an easy life by any means. 

Yes his parents had always been rich and he could have anything in the world that his heart had ever desired. But he never longed for the new toys when he was a child, he had plenty of those. No he wanted his father’s attention, praise and love. He was a bright young boy with the whole world at his feet and he did everything to make his father proud. So he was several years ahead of his peers when it came to his academics making him the constant outsider and never having friends. But he wanted his father’s approval so he put up with the whispering, pointing, not having friends and constantly being alone wheatear it was in school or at home. All in hopes of finally making his father proud.

Then when he became a teenager he tried to find a nice girl like his father suggested he do. God knows he tried but the few girls he met he felt nothing for and even fewer even wanted anything to do with him. But when he was 14 he found this amazing guy named Shawn he was 15, hazel eyes, dark blonde hair, more muscular then Tony himself and a smile to die for. It was with Shawn Tony realized he was gay and he began his secret relationship with Shawn. He knew that his father would never approve of him being gay so he just said that Shawn was a friend and Howard bought it for a while thinking it was no harm in letting him have a friend.  
This secret relationship went on for almost 6 months before Howard found them in the kitchen. Tony was sitting on the counter with his hands in Shawn’s hair pulling him closer and Shawn was between his legs, hands under his shirt feeling the smooth skin. Howard had given Tony that look that he just knew he was in big trouble. Shawn was asked to leave and Tony had just looked down on the floor scared for what about to come. Reluctantly Shawn had left his young lover in the kitchen and walked out of the Stark mansion and would never see Tony again. 

Tony received the beating of a lifetime that night. Howards beating the gay out of him, Tony would not be an embarrassment to this family by liking boys over girls. That was not natural and not how nature had intended. He had not screamed nor cried. He had winced but taken the beating like a man should. Like his father wanted him to. He had been warned if he would find Tony with a boy like that again, he would break his bones and Tony didn’t doubt that for a second. He should be glad it was only a belt. The next day he was sent to a boarding school. 

The next year he went away to MIT. He was happier there. Not over the moon happy but happy enough to be around other people with similar interest and most people didn’t seem to mind that he was so young, there were a few others who were also young and he formed a sort of friendship with. One of them was Pepper Potts, or Virginia was her real name but wanted to be called Pepper for some reason, but she would become one of his best friends. Life was better but not good. At least he was away from Howard. But he didn’t dare to do anything like kiss another boy or underage drinking in case it would come back to Howard in some way. So he focused on his school work. He graduated three years later.

When he was 19 his mother got cancer and she wouldn’t survive it. They all knew it but still hoped that something would change and she would survive this. Because Tony didn’t know how he would survive without her. Two weeks before he turned 20 she died. Two days before his birthday they buried her. It was a rainy day and his father stood close enough to him to make sure he looked like the loving father but not so close that Tony would believe it. He wasn’t allowed to cry. He was a Stark and Stark men don’t cry even when they lose their mother. Howard held a speech about the strength of his mother, what an amazing woman she was, how much he would miss her and how his love to her would never fade. Tony knew he hadn’t written it because he Howard had never spoken or showed his love for his wife of almost 25 years. That night Tony moved out. He didn’t want anything to do with his father anymore. Howard swore that if he walked out that door he would be cut of form the money and his heritage from Stark Industries and Tony just shrugged his shoulder. He didn’t even want it. 

When he is 21 his life would start to turn around, he finally had his own apartment after a year of being roommates with Pepper and does some freelance work with programming and coding while working as a barista. He gets by, its not exactly the life of luxury he had been used to but it was enough and he would rather live in a cardboard box on the street before asking Howard for help. It was cold night when he first notices the blonde coming in to the coffee shop for the first time. He was cute and their eyes locked for a moment before Tony returned to wiping down the tables, missing the smile the blonde produced. This would be a recurring theme for the coming months and the blonde wouldn’t order until Tony was at the counter and after four months of this not so discrete flirting Tony wrote his number on the blonde’s cup. They had their first date the very next day.

His name was Steve Grant Rogers he was 24 doing his last year in law school and he was absolute perfection. He was kind and sweet making sure Tony always made it home safely and texted and called whenever his tight schedule allowed him to, supported him when he decided to set up his own company focusing on green energy. Tony never understood why a great guy like Steve would want to hang around a screw up like Tony but he would keep him around as long as he wanted to stay which seemed to be for a long time because he met his parents. His mother who was as sweet as his own mother had been; she had loved him from the first moment they met and told stories about Steve when he was younger making the blonde blush and the brunette chuckle. His father asked him about the company and about his childhood. His brother Clint made sure to make a fool of Steve making everyone laugh. He was welcomed into the family he always wanted.

The following year when Steve passed his bar exam, making him officially a lawyer they moved in together. Life couldn’t be much better. He had a man who he loved and whom loved him back. They lived in a pretty nice apartment together; Steve would start his carrier as a lawyer and his business was taking off better than he had hoped for. His five year plan was accomplished in 18 months. They would talk about their day with each other every night at dinner and Tony was still in wonder that someone would want to hear about his day. His father had never wanted that. Sure they fought every once in a while just like any other couple but they would always work it out and move on. 

After two and half years of working from home Tony could finally rent a real space to have his office in and hire a few people to help him out making further progress to show for his investors who invested more money into his company. Steve was making a name for himself as a lawyer and was trusted with more prominent clients and bigger cases as people saw that he didn’t back down without a fight and would never lose a case.

On New Year’s Eve two years later Steve proposed to him. He had done it properly and gone down on his knee and gotten a ring in gold, the fireworks exploding around them promising to love him forever and never let go, they had their friends and family around them making the moment perfect. They got married in September that year. It was a small ceremony with family and friends in New York. They had gotten lucky with the venue with a last minute cancelation so they booked it then and there. That had been in May so it was a slightly rushed wedding but none the less perfect for them. They had said I do to each other and that was all they wanted and needed.

Over the five coming years Tony worked hard on building his empire and Steve to make partner at his firm. Both supporting each other every step of the way when the confidence falter and hard times came their way but they pushed through and always came out successful on the other side. They also moved two time under this time to get a bigger apartment so they each had at office at home and have an extra room for when they decided to make their family bigger which was something they both wanted.

Two weeks after Tony’ 31th birthday they welcomed home a three year old baby girl. They named her Maria Sarah Virginia Rogers. Tony didn’t understand how he loved someone so much when he barley gotten to know them. But god he loved her more than anything in this world. He promised her then and there that he would never be the cause of her pain and she would never doubt his love for her.

They had just gotten home from a long day of running around the city getting ready for Maria’s first day of school. The whole family was exhausted and decided to order pizza for dinner. There was a ring on the door and Tony is there in a heartbeat. He was starving. But when he opens the door it’s not the pizza guy.

It’s his father whom he hadn’t seen or heard from in almost 15 years. Except from the news where they Stark Industries was losing buyers and had to lay of several 100 people from their jobs. “What are you doing here?” He questions. He was truly shocked he thought he had a bigger chance of seeing a dragon then seeing his father again.

“I came to talk to you Anthony.” Howard’s voice was as cold and hard as it had been 15 years ago but this time Tony wasn’t scared of him. “Can I come in?” He questions.

“No.” Howard didn’t like that answer. He was still under the belief that Tony feared him and wanted to please his father something had worked through years ago with the help of Steve and a lot of therapy. He didn’t need his father’s approval. He had a family who wanted him and loved him unconditionally. Blood didn’t make a family. Love did he had learned that while being with Steve.

“Anthony I came all the way here and I want to talk to my son.” Howard’s voice was stiff and his jaw clenching. He had hoped that this would be easier, that his son would still be broken and desperate for his father’s approval.

“Then you shouldn’t have wasted your time. I have nothing to say to you.” He was staring into the brown eye’s he had inherited from his dad and was glad it was the only thing he had gotten from the man in front of him. He felt someone hug his leg looking down he saw the blonde hair belonging to his daughter; he lifts her up and let her rest on his hip. 

“Who is that daddy?” She questions and points to man that are her grandfather but as far as she knew his parents were dead.

“He is no-body sweetie.” He places a kiss on the girls head Howard’s looks gets stern and colder, if that was possible. “He is just lost.” She seems to buy the explanation and rest her head on his shoulder.

“Tony what is taking so long?” Steve joins them in the doorway shocked to see the man he had heard so many horror stories about. “Come here baby.” He turns to Maria and lifts her away from Tony and onto his own hip before placing a soft kiss on Tony’s cheek and a look that let him know that if he needed him he was there then they disappear back into the kitchen.

“Still gay huh?” Howard was not pleased Tony could tell that much. 

“Jupp! Married for almost 10 years now. But you knew that since Steve insisted we should send you an invitation to the wedding. He didn’t know what a crap dad you were then.” His voice toxic hoping it would kill Howard or at least make him turn away and leave them the hell alone, like he had been doing for the last 15 years. “Just go and ignore me like you have been my whole life.” 

“I would like a second chance Anthony.” Howard states and Tony search his eyes for the hook. It was always a hook with him, he never did things out of the goodness of his heart mostly because he didn’t have a heart.

“Yeah and wanted you to get cancer and die instead of mom but we can’t all get what we want can we?” Tony replies coolly. He knew it was harsh but it was how he felt and he just wanted Howard to leave him the hell alone just like he had been doing for the last 15 years. Howard remains quiet but Tony decides to speak. “I rebuild my whole life even when I thought I never would experience happiness. But then I met Steve and he is good! He is the kind of good that he helps strangers out without wanting anything in return!” Howard would never understand that sort of thing only thinking in ways to benefit himself. “He is the most amazing father to our daughter. And the most amazing husband to me.” 

“Everything I wasn’t then?” Howard fills in and admits his shortcomings.

“Yes. And I will not let you into my life and ruin everything I have with him, because that’s what you always do and I will be left to clean up the mess.” He took a deep breath. “So no, you will not get a second chance and I don’t want to hear from you ever again.” And with that he closed the door and he could feel a few tears fall down his face which he quickly wipes away before going to the kitchen were Steve and Maria was drawing. He walks over to them and let a hand squeeze Steve’s shoulder and press a soft kiss to Maria’s head while watching her draw a horse. He feels an arm snake around his waist and pull him closer to press a kiss on his shoulder.

“You okay?” Steve murmurs into the shoulder and Tony just nods.

“I am now.” 

No Tony Rogers may not had the easiest of lives and piece by piece he had rebuild his life and it had not been easy but when he sees his husband and daughter he just knows that every struggle he went through was worth it. And he would without a shadow of a doubt do it again.


End file.
